Cerebrospinal fluid collection and interpretation

Cerebrospinal fluid analysis is an important ancillary diagnos­tic test indicated in cases where the results of a physical and neurological exam indicate central nervous system disease. Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid is most valuable in diagnosing inflammatory or traumatic conditions and, in some cases, may demonstrate the etiologic agent. Cerebrospinal fluid collection is a field-friendly procedure and serum preservation is used to stabilize cells in the fluid for shipping to a reference laboratory. This manuscript details the cerebrospinal fluid collection pro­cedure and interpretation of protein concentration, total nucle­ated cell counts and other analytes.